Feeding mechanism for crochet-machines



(No Model.)

J. M. MERRCW. PEEDINC MECHANISM POR CROCHET MACHINES.

No. 448,722. Patented Mar. 24, 1891.

NITED STATES PATENT Ormea.

JOSEPH M. MERROW, OF MERROV, CONNECTICUT.

FEEDING MECHANISM FOR CROCHET-MACHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 448,722, dated March24, 1891. Application filed May 20, 1890. Serial No. 352,526. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JosnPH M. Mnnaow, of Merrow, in the town ofMansfield, county of Tolland, and State of Connecticut, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Feeding Mechanism for Crochet orOverseaming Machines.

This invention relate to a novel and improved form, construction, andarrangement of feeding mechanism more especially designed for use inconnection with crocheting or overseaming machines for producing a shellstich or scallop finish upon the edges of fabrics, to which end thefeeding action is inter mitted or delayed, so as to take place afterseveral successive movements of vthe sewing or crocheting mechanism, ashereinafter described.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevation, partly in section, of acrocheting-machine, showing the improved feed mechanism applied thereto.Fi g. 2 is an end view, and Fig. 3 a top plan View, of the feedingmechanism.

Similar letters and numbers of reference in the several ligures indicatethe same parts.

The machine to which the present invention is shown applied is of awell-known type, wherein a vertically-reciprocaling needle carries thethread back and forth through the' material or fabric, and a looper orcrochethook reciprocating at anangle to the needle above and below thefabric engages the thread,

' draws loops therefrom to or beyond the edge of the fabric andinterloops them.

The principal elements of this machine are the main shaft A, journaledin frame B, and

carrying eccentric C and wheel D, a needlebar Il, connected threugh pinL with needlelever G, the latter provided with a ball F, engaged bypitman E on eccentric C, a presserfoot l, a work-plate I', and acrochet-hook or looper-carrier J, pivotally supported on a block K,guided to reciprocate on ways on the frame, said carrier being furnishedwith studs j, engaging camgi'oovesj in a pair of cylinders L L2, thelatter geared together and driven from main shaft A, upon which one ofsaid cylinders is mounted. As the main shaft A rotates, the cams operateto oscillate and reciprocate the carrier J, causing the crochet-hook ato reciprocate Iirst on one side and then on the opposite side of thefab- Vric held between the presser-foot and bedplate, the needle-barbeing in the meantime reciprocated in its guides to cause the needle tocarry the thread back and forth through the fabric. At eachreciprocation of the hook the needle-thread is engaged and a loop drawnto or beyond the edge of the fabric.

For a more extended explanation of the construction and operation ofmachines of this type reference may be had to Patent No. 414,234. Informing shell-stitch or scallopwork with such a machine the needle iscaused to penetrate the fabric several times at substantially the samepoint, the crochethook engaging the thread alternately on opposite sidesof the fabric, and while these operations are taking place the feedingmechanisrn is arrested or held out of engagement with the fabric untilthe desired number of loops or stitches have been formed, when it isbrought into operative engagement with the fabric to cause an advancingor feeding movement. The present invention has to do principally with afeed `mechanism of this kind. Upon the main shaft A or other shaftrotating in unison therewith is mounted a worm 1 in position to engagepins or teeth on a wheel 2, provided'with or connected to a cam-wheel ordisk A feed-dog 4 is mounted upon a lever or carrier 5, which ispivotally connected to a lever 6, the latter provided with a pin orbearing 7 in position to be engaged by the cam 3, the latter operatingto.

elevate the lever 6 and bring the feed-dog in operative relation withthe fabric, as by projecting it through the slot in the bed-plate, andto retract the lever.l and feed-dog solas to withdraw the latter fromcontact with the fabric, as by dropping the feed-dog below the upperface of the bed-plate. By this means the feed-dog may be raised andlowered or brought into operative relation with the fabric at suitableintervals. The horizontal motion of the feed-dog in a direction toadvance the fabric is effected by meansof a pitman 8 surrounding aneccentric 9 on shaft A and connected to the lever or carrier 5. 'As thusarranged each complete rotation of shaft A will effect one reciprocationof the lever 5, carrying the feed-dog, and but a partial rota- IOO tionof the cam-wlieel 3. Hence if the latter is so formed as to elevate thelever 5 and hold the feed-dog projected through the slot in thebed-plate during a portion only of the movenient of the cani-wheel 3,and While the feeddog is traversing forward or in the direction of thefeed movement, and then permit or cause the feed-dog to descend belowthe bedplate and continue in that position during the balance of therotation of the cam-plate, a single feed oi' advancing movement will becommunicated to the fabric for seveial complete revolutions of the maindriving-shaft Ai In the preferred form of embodiment of the saidinvention the thread of the Worin 1 is irregular-that is to say, foi'some distanceit is at rightaugles with the axis of rotation of itsshaft, and when this portion of the thread lies between two of the pinson Wheel 2 the latter will be held from rotation until the angular ordiagonal portions of the thread make contact with the pins to effect apartial rotaof the wheel 2. In the illustration the wheel 2 is providedwith eight pins. Hence each rotation of the worin-wheel l will cause thewheel 2 to advance one-eiglith of a complete revolution, and themovement will take place during about one-lialf of each completerevolution of worm l, the wheel 2 remaining` stationary during theremainder of eacli revolution of the worm. Thus, instead of causing thewheel 2 to move continuously it is ad-` van ced interinittingly, therebeing a short delay between each movement and the latter being quicklyperformed. The lever G to which the feed-dog carrier 5 is pivoted may beheld in contact with cam-wheel 3 and caused to descend by the action ofgravity; or, if desired, a spring l0 may be arranged to engage saidlever, and a suitable stop provided for limiting the downward movement.The eccentric 9 is made integral with or attached to the worm l, so asto prevent accidental misplacement.

The piii-wlieel and cam-disk may be formed integral; but they arepreferably made separate and det-acliable to permit either part to bereadily renewed.

The cam-wheel 3 foi' effecting the vertical movements of the feed-dogmay be of any well known form or construction, either grooved or face.Normally, the feed-dog reciprocates with its teeth or engaging-surfacebelow the work-plate, as shown in Fig. 2 5 but when the elevatingportion 11 of the cam is brought under the stud or bearing 7 on lever 6the longer arm of said lever is shifted, thereby raising the feed-doguntil its teeth project above the work-plate, as shown in Fig. l. Whencarried to its highest point, the feeddog is drawn forward, acting uponthe fabric to feed it the required distance, when the cam projection llpasses beyond the pin 7 and the feed-dog again drops below thework-plate, and its action uponthe fabric is suspended until it is againraised by the cam projection ll.

maree Having thus described my invention, what l claim as new is-- l. Incombination with stitch-forming mechanism, a feed-dog and carrierpivotally connected to a vertically-movable support, a cam engaging saidsupport to elevate the feed-dog, an eccentric and pitman or equivalentactuating device connected to the feed-dog carrier and operating toreciprocate the latter u pon its support, and Worin-gearing intermediatethe driving-shaft and said cam, substantially as described. l

2. The combination, with a stitch-forming mechanism, of a reciprocatingfeed-dog and carrier pivotally supported upon a verticallymovable lever7a cam engaging said lever, a wheel connected to said cam, and a worm secured to the driving-shaft and engaging said wheel to rotate the cam,substantially as described.

3. The herein described improved feed mechanism, consisting,essentially, of a rotating worm and eccentric, a wheel engaged by theworm and connected to a cam, alever engaging said cam, a feed-dogcarrier p ivoted upon said lever, and a pitinan connecting the eccentricand the feed-dog carrier, the Whole combined substantially as and forthe purpose specified.

4. In a feed mechanism such as described, the combination, with thewheel and its cani, the lever bearing the feed-dog carrier, and devicesengaging the latter to reciprocate it, of the driving-worm provided withstraight and inclined sections, substantially as described.

5. In a feed mechanism such as described, the combination, with the wormand the feeddog mounted upon a vertically and horizontally movablesupport, of the cam for elevating said support and the wheel providedwith a series of pins greater in number than the elevating-sections ofthe cam-wheel, substantially as described.

6. In a machine such as described, the combination, with thestitch-forining mechanism and the main driving-shaft thereof, of theworm and eccentric applied to said shaft, the pin-wlieel and cam-disk,and the verticallymovable and horizontally-reciprocating feeddog carrierand its support, said support engaging the cam-disk, while the feed-dogcarrier is connected to and operated by the eccentric, substantially asdescribed.

7. In a machine such as described, the coinbination, with the needle andneedle-bai', the crochet-hook, its carrier and actuating-cams, and themain driving-shaft carrying one of said cams and connected to theneedle-bar, of the Worm and eccentric secured to the main drive-shaft,the wheel driven by said worin, a cam-disk connected to said wheel andprovided with an elevating-section or protuberant portion, a lever orbar engaging said camdisk, and a feed-dog carrier supported upon saidlever or bar and connected to the eccentric by a pitinan, substantiallyas described.

IOC

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8. The combination, with the main drivefier, and a, pin-Wheel connectedt0 the cam shaft, its Worm and eccentric, and e. vertical and engaged bythe Worm on the drive-shaft, feed-dog carrier, of the pitman connectingsubstantially as described.

said carrier and eccentric, the lever support-` JOSEPH M. MERROV. 5 ingthe carrier and pivoted at one side of the Witnesses:

main s11aft,acam engaging said leverbe'ween CEAS. F. THAYER,

its pivot and point of attachment to the car- GEO. E. PARSONS.

